Things Fall Apart-- Chapters 17-20

Who is Ogbuefi Ugonna?

A clan member of Umuofia who cast away his titles in order to become a convert to Christianity. Okonkwo does not understand why someone would do that.

Who is Nneka?

Wife of Amadi and first female convert to Christianity. She is very pregnant. She had four previous pregnancies that all resulted in twins. It's obvious that she wanted to join Christianity so that if she had twins again, they wouldn't be "thrown away."

After the creation of the church in Mbanta, what began happening to the twins that were "thrown away"?

The converts and missionaries would rescue the babies and take them to their huts near the church.

What does Obierika think about the current situation with Umuofia and what the white men have done?

" The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart."

What are the Kotma called and why?

"Ashy Buttocks" , they wear ash colored shorts, they are court messengers (missionary government officials). They guarded the prisons where missionary government officials placed men who violated "the white man's law"

What was Okonkwo's nickname?

"Roaring Flame"

How were the missionaries overstepping their boundaries and contradicting the Mbanta ways?

1) taking the twin babies and sheltering them when they were thrown away 2) three converts threatened to burn the idols of the gods because they were "dead." (These men were beaten by the Mbanta.) 3) Setting up their own form of government (the government of the white man) that contradicted the Mbanta government. Example: One man was hanged for killing a missionary.

Why is Okonkwo upset about the way things are going in Umuofia?

He is upset that the missionaries have so much power. He feels that his people are weak.

In year 7 of his exile, why does Okonkwo send money to Obierika?

He needed Obierika to build two huts on his old land. He is preparing to return to Umuofia.

Why does Obierika tell Okonkwo that it is too late to fight the white man and drive him from the land?

He says they can drive out the white men (only two), but too many of their own people have joined Christianity. If they were to kill the white men, the converts will go seek help and wipe everyone out like they did in Abame.

What happened to Aneto?

He was hanged in Umuru. He killed a man over a land dispute.

What was Okonkwo's reaction when he found out Nwoye was among the converts?

He yelled at Nwoye and hit him with a stick, demanding to know where Nwoye had been. Nwoye never admitted to being with the Christians. Uchendu made Okonkwo stop, but Nwoye never went home again.

Who does Okonkwo blame for his son's behavior (abandoning the ancestral gods in favor of Christianity)?

His personal god (chi). He basically thinks he is cursed with bad luck.

Who is Mr. Kiaga?

Interpreter to the missionaries-- he helps in the communication between the missionaries and the people of the clan

Why wouldn't the clan allow the converts to get water from the stream and get red clay for Holy Week?

It was a sign to show the converts that their membership in the clan was revoked.

What happened to the land after Aneto was hanged?

It went to Nnama's family, who gave a lot of money to the white men. This violates what the clan tradition of land ownership should be.

Did Nwoye attend church services the first week?

No. He walked back and forth in front of the church, but he did not enter. He is interested in the new religion, but he is too afraid to enter.

Why does Okonkwo want his daughters to wait to be married?

So they can marry well in Umuofia, not Mbanta, and raise Okonkwo's status once he returns.

One of the converts (a formal osu) committed a great crime against the Mbanta when he killed _________.

The sacred python, an earthly representation of the god of water. The python was allowed to go anywhere it pleased, and no one in the village was allowed to harm it.

Why did the people of the clan back off from their original plan to bar the converts from clan rights and privileges?

The man who was said to have killed the python (Okoli) died. They thought their gods had settled the matter of the python by killing him, so they felt there was no more need to punish the converts.

How did the missionaries respond to the osu joining their cause?

The missionaries explained to the converts that all are equal in the eyes of God. The converts had some trouble with this, but they eventually accepted it or left the group.

What condition did the missionaries have for admitting osu?

The osu must shave off their hair to show they no longer believe they are worthless and outcasts.

What is a rainbow called?

The python of the sky

How did the missionaries respond to the offer of land from the clan?

They burst into song-- they didn't understand that the "gift" of this land from the evil forest was really a slap in the face.

What did the members of the clan expect would happen to the missionaries once they stepped foot in the land the clan gave them?

They expected the missionaries would die, but they didn't. This won over some converts.

What does the village of Mbanta do to the Christians as punishment for those who killed the python?

They proclaimed that the converts are now not part of the clan at all and have no rights in the clan. Okonkwo wanted to chase them out of the village and beat them, but the group decided that would be unwise.

Why does Okonkwo want to host a feast?

To thank his mother's family for their kindness during his exile. It also signals that he will return to his home land of Umuofia.

Where does Nwoye go when he leaves Mbanta ?

Umuofia to help with the missionary school

The missionaries asked for land. What land did the clan elders give to them?

land that was part of the evil forest-- this is where the graves of people who died from horrible diseases was located

What are osu?

outcasts from the clan; "He could neither marry nor be married by the free-born. He was in fact an outcast, living in a special area of the village, close to the Great Shrine. Wherever he went he carried with him the mark of his forbidden caste—long, tangled and dirty hair. A razor was taboo to him. An osu could not attend an assembly of the free-born, and they, in turn, could not shelter under his roof. He could not take any of the four titles of the clan, and when he died he was buried by his kind in the Evil Forest."

What time limit did the clan believe the missionaries had before the gods destroyed them for violating the evil forest and bringing a new religion?

seven market weeks or 28 days. Some converts did not attend services on the 28th day because they were afraid the gods would take vengeance on the missionaries for defying them.